Many techniques have been developed for packaging a plurality of containers, such as bottles, cans or the like. Carriers for such containers can take many shapes depending upon the size and nature of the containers to be packaged.
One well-known type of carrier for such containers is what is known as a "wraparound" carrier. Such a carrier is formed from heavy paperboard stock, or the like, and includes a top panel, a pair of side wall panels hinged to the top panel and a pair of overlapping or interlocking base panels attached to each side panel.
Packaging of containers with a wraparound carrier is normally accomplished by providing what are known as draw-down openings formed in the side walls of the carrier. A plurality of containers are initially aligned with one another in a desired formation and the wraparound carrier is partially assembled with the top and side wall panels in contact with the containers. The partially assembled carrier and container assembly is conveyed through a draw-down conveyor section where draw-down arms engage the apertures formed in the side walls of the carrier to tighten the carrier about the containers. Subsequently, the base panels are secured together, either by interlocking tongue and slit portions formed on the bottom panels or by adhesive applied to the base panels depending upon the type of carrier used. The completed carrier and multiple container assembly is then ejected from the draw-down section for subsequent shipping and/or storage.
While prior art wraparound packaging apparatus can tighten and secure such carriers, such apparatus does not accurately locate, position or control the containers within the carrier during assembly. It is well-known that when wraparound carriers are rapidly applied to a plurality of containers in a continuous line, such containers tend to "shingle out" and become misaligned within the completed carrier. This is due to the vibration of the packaging machinery, the tendency of the containers to bounce and the minor differences in speed and momentum of the individual containers and paperboard carrier. If adjacent containers come into contact with one another, the chances of breakage of the containers are increased, especially if they are made of a brittle material such as glass.
In other types of prior art wraparound packaging apparatus attempts have been made to overcome these difficulties, but in these cases speed is severely limited in that the tightening and securing operation is performed while the carrier and container assembly is held stationary at a draw-down station. Thus, the assembly speed of the carrier about the containers is limited by the operating speed of the draw-down fingers and the sealing means. In addition, separate transporting or conveying apparatus is needed to transfer the completed carton carrier from the draw-down station.
Thus there is the need for wraparound carrier assembly apparatus which operates rapidly and continuously and provides positive feed, position control of adjacent containers and tightening of the carrier about the containers.